Amidst the call of the Election Commission, senior leaders of both the factions of the Nationalist Congress Party have given a big statement regarding the rift in the party. He said that there is no division in the party. Let us tell you that after the petition filed by Ajit Group, the Election Commission has called both the factions of NCP for a personal hearing on October 6. The petition claims that he has been elected the national president of the party.
Maharashtra unit chief of the Sharad Pawar-led party, Jayant Patil, said it was unfair for the Election Commission to treat our case as a dispute within a political party. He said that we have continuously said that there is no division in NCP. Patil further said that Sharad Pawar, in his letter to the Election Commission, emphasized the fact that he never faced any opposition within the party. There is no dispute. There has been no opposition from the party to my (Sharad Pawar’s) policies on any public platform.
He said that Sharad Pawar had also sought time from the Election Commission to explain his stand. Because there was no dispute between us. But there has been some exchange of emails (with Ajit Pawar’s side). After which the Election Commission, without giving them time, concluded that there was a dispute.
At the same time, when Maharashtra Cabinet Minister and senior Ajit Pawar group leader Chhagan Bhujbal was talked to about Jayant Patil’s statement, he said that it is good that there is no controversy. There have been some changes in the party, like change of national president. Ajit Pawar is now the party president and we have already told this to the ECI.
Ajit Pawar and eight other NCP MLAs had left Sharad Pawar in July this year and joined the Eknath Shinde-led government.